I won’t mention oil, black population, religion, corruption, and the issues in “the other room”. Some other persons have or will talk about them. My view of Nigeria and Nigerians is very different.
I’m well vast on the daily atrocities that never fails to occur every now and then, but I feel there is a part about Nigeria we don’t talk about very much and that is the idea of not giving up, our unequaled individual strength to endure dire hardship.
Some will say, “we know that already, besides it’s not just Nigerians who endure the very hardship they brought upon themselves, we see that in our country too.” Well, you’re right, a large part of the troubles plaguing Nigeria is self-induced. But how much do you really know about the tough challenges Nigerians face and still have the courage to be human?
Like some say; it doesn’t take long to turn a human into an animal. But we’re not yet animals, some of us are even far more human than you. But I tell you, if you were to face the challenges being faced by Nigerians on a daily basis you might do far worse, the scam would be the least.
Countries are talking about settling for only renewable energy, driving electric cars, and building space ships, but there are Nigerians who haven’t seen the electricity they’re paying for in their houses with their gas for weeks, or months now. No, not just in rural areas but in major cities.
The richest and most powerful people in Nigeria are politicians and big businessmen who have the authorities as puppets. You can’t stand up to them without buying your coffin and signing your death warrant.
About ninety per cent of Nigerian graduates don’t have a job. Not only that, they have no place to even drop their CV. Isn’t that scary? It doesn’t matter how breathtaking your ideas or invention might be, no one will give you a loan to actualize that dream of yours. You must be very lucky and fated to do otherwise.
Millions of adults in Nigeria are just jobless despite their skills. They simply have nothing meaningful to do to bring meat to the table, yet they’re pressured to continue to provide for the family. You may never make it in Nigeria, but if you can make it in Nigeria you can make it anywhere. I don’t play the blame game, it’s the fault of no foreigner for the situation we find ourselves other than Nigerians.
But on a good day, I consider many Nigerians saints, we are some times forced by the government, by nature, by our families to do the unthinkable to survive, no matter how bad it may be, but the majority of us don’t, we try to stay sane still. When you have a course to deal with quite a good number of Nigerians you’ll find some of the sweetest beings in the world.
It’s only in Nigeria people could face all the challenges life has to offer simultaneously and still behave normally like every human being.
I’m no saint, there are things I’ve done that I’m less proud of but you might do worse if you were me, if you were to see and live what I’ve survived. And even now, you’re still not more Catholic than I am.
This black, African strength is keeping me and other Nigerians going, with the hope that it might not be today but things are definitely going to be better.
This is what the common Nigerian should be known for: That at this point, we have enough reasons to do anything to survive but the majority of us only do that which is good because we’re good, happy and, hopeful people who have it in us to separate that which is bad from the good.
